waters



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

F. M. WATERS.

CLUTCH.

Patented Jan. 26,1892.

(No Model.) 2 sneecs-sneen 2.

F.. M. WATERS.

CLUTCH No. 467,598. Patented Jan. 26, 1892.

WIWI/ESSE@ C.\ m A :5]

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. WATERS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE FARMERS FRIEND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,598, dated January 26, 1892.

' Application tiled July 30, 1891.` Serial No. 401,166. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK M. WATERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in lawn-mower clutches, the peculiarities of which are hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which like reference-lettersindicatecorrespondingparts, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of la lawnmower with one of the ground-Wheels and internal gear-Wheels removed; Fig. 2, a diametrical sectional View of the ground-Wheel, driving-gear, and side, dto., on the line me of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a detail view of the ground- Wheel and driving-gear, looking into the wheel from the inner side and showing a part of the clutching-coil; Fig. 4, a detail elevation of the clutching-coil; Fig. 5, a sectional view of a part of the ground-Wheel and drivinggear, showing the clutching-coil in plan; Fig. 6, a front view of the ground-Wheels, their respective side plates and connecting-bar; Fig. 7 an enlarged View of one side of the machine, showing the ground-wheel and internal gear-wheel broken away to illustrate the connection and arrangement of the parts.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with so much of two types of lawn-mowers as is necessary to make plain the modef of operation of my invention.

The letter A designates the end plates of al on the reel-shaft, and imparts motion to that shaft when driven by the ground-Wheel.. The hub II of this internal gear-Wheel is recessed, as shown at L, and is provided with an opening, as shown at M, Fig. 3. In this recess and around the hub of the ground-Wheel is placed 5 5 The in- 6o plitcation) by passing through the hole M in the hub'K of such Wheel. The inner end P of the coil is not permanently fixed to the sleeve I, but merely hugs or grasps the same when the other end of the coil is rotated in the direction to Wind up the coil.

When the driving-wheel is put in motion by rolling the machine over the ground, the clutching-band, which is wound on the sleeve or hub of this wheel, contracts or tightens and binds or grips upon the sleeve or hub.

In consequence of this the clutching-coil rotates with the driving member and communicates this motion to the driven member with which it is suitably connected. In a reverse rotation the driving wheel or member Will im- 8o mediately disengage itself`from the clutchingcoil, Which expands or loosens upon such reverse movement taking place.

It will be observed that the driving member or that member upon which the grippingcoil is Wound rotates in the directionin which the coil is wound when operating to contract the coll, While when operating to release the coil the movement is opposed to the direction in which the coil is Wound.

In Fig. 7 the arrows show the direction of rotation of the connected parts when the ground-Wheel is rotated. A portion only of the pinion is shown meshing with its gearwheel I-I, which is clutched bythe coil-spring connection interposed between the groundwheel and internal gear-wheel, as shown in Figs. 7 and 2. The operative connection loetween the ground-wheel and reel-shaft is therefore clearly shown, and the direction of roo the arrows indicate the motion of the parts in their clutched condition.

It will be understood that the manner of arranging the driving. and driven member and the details entering into the connection ot' the spring with the driven member may be modified to suit the particular use to which the invention may be put, and I would therefore have it distinctly vunderstood that I do not coniine myself to any particular arrangement of such parts or Way of making the connection between the coil and the driven member, but lay claim, broadly, to the clutch involving the principle and mode of operation herein described.

It will be understood that I prefer to make the coil of some resilient material, as steel or brass, the latter having more or less resiliency when drawn down in the form of a wire. I have shown the driving member-that is7 the internal gear-Wheel in Fig. 2-as rotating about the same axis as the driving member or ground-Wheel, the driven member in such instance being the female element. The clutching-coil is adapted to application to structures in which the driven member may be either a male element or a female element.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a lawn-mower ground-Wheel having a sleeve or hub, of a gear-wheel mounted upon such sleeve or hub, and a resilient coil also mounted upon said sleeve or hub and having one of its ends oonnected to said gear-wheel, whereby when the ground-Wheel is rotated in one direction the coil tightens upon its hub or sleeve and causes the gear-wheel to rotate with it.

2. The combination, with a lawn -mower side plate having a stud 7L and a ground- Wheel mounted on the stud and having a sleeve, of an internal gear-wheel rotatably mounted on such sleeve, and a resilient coil Wound on the sleeve and within the bore of the gear-Wheel, one end of the coil being fixed to the gear-wheel and the remainder of the coil adapted to clamp upon the sleeve when the wheel is rotated in one direction.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. WATERS.

Witnesses:

HANEY CoNovER, Jr., MARTIN FONHEIM. 

